Control arm assemblies for robotic surgical systems

ABSTRACT

A control arm assembly for controlling a robot system includes a gimbal that is moveable and rotatable about three axes, and a handle assembly coupled to the gimbal. The handle assembly includes a body portion having a controller disposed therein and a first actuator disposed thereon. The first actuator is mechanically coupled to the controller via a four-bar linkage such that actuation of the first actuator causes mechanical movement of a component of the controller which is converted by the controller into an electrical signal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Stage Application filed under 35U.S.C. § 371(a) of International Patent Application Serial No.PCT/US2017/035583, filed Jun. 2, 2017, which claims the benefit of andpriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/345,505,filed Jun. 3, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein.

BACKGROUND

Robotic surgical systems have been used in minimally invasive medicalprocedures. During such medical procedures, a robotic surgical system iscontrolled by a surgeon interfacing with a user interface. The userinterface allows the surgeon to manipulate an end effector of a robotsystem that acts on a patient. The user interface includes a control armassembly that is moveable by the surgeon to control the robotic surgicalsystem.

There is a need for improved control arm assemblies for moving andoperating the end effector of the robotic surgical system.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates generally to control arm assemblies of auser interface of a robotic surgical system that allows a clinician tocontrol a robot system of the robotic surgical system during a surgicalprocedure. Handle assemblies of the control arm assemblies includefinger-controlled actuators configured to allow a clinician tocomfortably interface with the control arm assemblies for controlling anarm and/or a tool of the robot system, and gimbals of the control armassemblies include connectors configured to allow a clinician to easilyconnect/disconnect the handle assemblies to/from the control armassemblies.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a control arm assembly forcontrolling a robot system includes a gimbal moveable and rotatableabout three axes, and a handle assembly coupled to the gimbal. Thehandle assembly includes a body portion having a controller disposedtherein and a first actuator disposed thereon. The first actuator ismechanically coupled to the controller via a four-bar linkage such thatactuation of the first actuator causes mechanical movement of acomponent of the controller which is converted by the controller into anelectrical signal.

In aspects, the first actuator includes a proximal portion and a distalportion. The first actuator can have a biased position in which thedistal portion extends laterally away from the body portion. Applicationof a force on the distal portion in a direction towards the body portionmay move the first actuator to an actuated position in which theproximal portion is moved laterally away from the body portion.

In some aspects, a first link of the four-bar linkage is secured to theproximal portion of the first actuator. In certain aspects, the four-barlinkage includes a second link fixedly disposed within the body portionof the handle assembly and operably connected to the controller, andthird and fourth links pivotably coupled to the first and second links.In particular aspects, the component of the controller is a first gear,and the second link of the four-bar linkage includes a second gearattached to a shaft rotatably disposed within the second link. Thesecond gear of the second link may be meshingly engaged with the firstgear of the controller. Movement of the fourth link may cause rotationalmovement of the second gear of the second link which may causerotational movement of the first gear of the controller. An end of thefourth link may be non-rotatably coupled to the second gear of thesecond link.

The first actuator may be disposed on an outer surface of the bodyportion of the handle assembly, and/or the handle assembly may include astrap extending over the distal portion of the first actuator.

In some aspects, the gimbal includes a connector releasably coupled to adistal end of the handle assembly. In certain aspects, the connectorincludes a flanged outer edge and opposed detents defined at terminalends of the flanged outer edge for releasable engagement with the distalend of the handle assembly.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a handle assembly forcontrolling a robot system includes a body portion, a controllerdisposed within the body portion, a first actuator disposed on the bodyportion, and a four-bar linkage mechanically coupling the controller andthe first actuator such that actuation of the first actuator causesmechanical movement of a component of the controller which is convertedby the controller into an electrical signal.

In aspects, the first actuator includes a proximal portion and a distalportion. The first actuator can have a biased position in which thedistal portion extends laterally away from the body portion. Applicationof a force on the distal portion in a direction towards the body portionmay move the first actuator to an actuated position in which theproximal portion is moved laterally away from the body portion.

In some aspects, a first link of the four-bar linkage is secured to theproximal portion of the first actuator. In certain aspects, the four-barlinkage further includes a second link fixedly disposed within the bodyportion and operably connected to the controller, and third and fourthlinks pivotably coupled to the first and second links. In particularaspects, the component of the controller is a first gear, and the secondlink of the four-bar linkage includes a second gear attached to a shaftrotatably disposed within the second link. The second gear of the secondlink may be meshingly engaged with the first gear of the controller.Movement of the fourth link may cause rotational movement of the secondgear of the second link which may cause rotational movement of the firstgear of the controller. An end of the fourth link may be non-rotatablycoupled to the second gear of the second link.

The first actuator may be disposed on an outer surface of the bodyportion, and/or the handle assembly may include a strap extending overthe distal portion of the first actuator.

Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from thedescription, drawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein belowwith reference to the drawings, which are incorporated in and constitutea part of this specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a robotic surgical systemincluding a robot system and a user interface having two control armassemblies in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the two control arm assembliesof the user interface of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a handle assembly of one of the controlarm assemblies of FIG. 2, with a hand of a clinician shown in phantom;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tool of the robot system of FIG. 1 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views, with parts removed, of the handleassembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view, with parts removed, of the handleassembly of FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, with an index finger of a hand of aclinician shown in phantom;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic illustrations of the handle assembly ofFIGS. 3 and 5-7 in a biased position and an actuated position,respectively, positioned within a hand of a clinician;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic illustrations of a prior art handleassembly including an actuator having a single pivot point in a biasedposition and an actuated position, respectively, positioned within ahand of a clinician;

FIG. 10 is a graph showing jaw angle and paddle force vs paddle angle inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a control arm assembly in accordancewith another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view, with parts removed, of a gimbal of thecontrol arm assembly of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure are now described in detail withreference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding elements in each of the several views. Asused herein, the term “clinician” refers to a doctor, nurse, or anyother care provider and may include support personnel. Throughout thisdescription, the term “proximal” refers to a portion of a system,device, or component thereof that is closer to a hand of a clinician,and the term “distal” refers to a portion of the system, device, orcomponent thereof that is farther from the hand of the clinician.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a robotic surgical system 1 in accordance withthe present disclosure is shown. The robotic surgical system 1 includesa robot system 10, a processing unit 30, and an operating console oruser interface 40. The robot system 10 generally includes linkages 12and a robot base 18. The linkages 12 moveably support an end effector ortool 20 which is configured to act on tissue of a patient “P” at asurgical site “S.” The linkages 12 may form arms, each arm 12 having anend 14 that supports the tool 20. In addition, the ends 14 of each ofthe arms 12 may include an imaging device 16 for imaging the surgicalsite “S,” and/or a tool detection system (not shown) that identifies thetool 20 (e.g., a type of surgical instrument) supported or attached tothe end 14 of the arm 12.

The processing unit 30 electrically interconnects the robot system 10and the user interface 40 to process and/or send signals transmittedand/or received between the user interface 40 and the robot system 10,as described in further detail below.

The user interface 40 includes a display device 44 which is configuredto display three-dimensional images. The display device 44 displaysthree-dimensional images of the surgical site “S” which may include datacaptured by imaging devices 16 positioned on the ends 14 of the arms 12and/or include data captured by imaging devices that are positionedabout the surgical theater (e.g., an imaging device positioned withinthe surgical site “S,” an imaging device positioned adjacent the patient“P”, an imaging device 56 positioned at a distal end of an imaging arm52). The imaging devices (e.g., imaging devices 16, 56) may capturevisual images, infra-red images, ultrasound images, X-ray images,thermal images, and/or any other known real-time images of the surgicalsite “S.” The imaging devices 16, 56 transmit captured imaging data tothe processing unit 30 which creates three-dimensional images of thesurgical site “S” in real-time from the imaging data and transmits thethree-dimensional images to the display device 44 for display.

The user interface 40 includes control arms 42 which support control armassemblies 46 to allow a clinician to manipulate the robot system 10(e.g., move the arms 12, the ends 14 of the arms 12, and/or the tools20). The control arm assemblies 46 are in communication with theprocessing unit 30 to transmit control signals thereto and to receivefeedback signals therefrom which, in turn, transmit control signals to,and receive feedback signals from, the robot system 10 to execute adesired movement of robot system 10.

Each control arm assembly 46 includes a gimbal 100 operably coupled tothe control arm 42 and an input device or handle assembly 200 operablycoupled to the gimbal 100. Each of the handle assemblies 200 is moveablethrough a predefined workspace within a coordinate system having “X,”“Y,” and “Z” axes to move the ends 14 of the arms 12 within a surgicalsite “S.” The three-dimensional images on the display device 44 areorientated such that the movement of the gimbals 100, as a result of themovement of the handle assemblies 200, moves the ends 14 of the arms 12as viewed on the display device 44. It will be appreciated that theorientation of the three-dimensional images on the display device 44 maybe mirrored or rotated relative to a view from above the patient “P.” Inaddition, it will be appreciated that the size of the three-dimensionalimages on the display device 44 may be scaled to be larger or smallerthan the actual structures of the surgical site “S” to permit aclinician to have a better view of structures within the surgical site“S.” For a detailed discussion of scaling of handle assembly movement,reference may be made to commonly owned U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/265,457, filed Dec. 10, 2015, now InternationalPatent Application Serial No. PCT/US16/65588, filed Dec. 8, 2016, theentire content of each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Asthe handle assemblies 200 are moved, the tools 20 are moved within thesurgical site “S.” It should be understood that movement of the tools 20may also include movement of the arms 12 and/or the ends 14 of the arms12 which support the tools 20.

For a detailed discussion of the construction and operation of a roboticsurgical system 1, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 8,828,023, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Referring now to FIG. 2, each gimbal 100 of the control arm assemblies46 includes an outer link 110, an intermediate link 120, and an innerlink 130. The outer link 110 includes a first end 110 a pivotablyconnected to the control arm 42 and a second end 110 b pivotablyconnected to a first end 120 a of the intermediate link 120 such thatthe intermediate link 120 is rotatable, as indicated by arrow “X₁” (FIG.1), about the “X” axis. The intermediate link 120 includes a second end120 b pivotably connected to a first end 130 a of the inner link 130such that the inner link 130 is rotatable, as indicated by arrow “Y₁”(FIG. 1), about the “Y” axis. The inner link 130 includes a second end130 b having a connector 132 configured to releasably engage a distalend 200 a of the handle assembly 200 such that the handle assembly 200is rotatable, as indicated by arrow “Z₁” (FIG. 1), about the “Z” axis.In embodiments, the outer, intermediate, and inner links 110, 120, 130are each substantially L-shaped frames that are configured to nestwithin each other. However, it should be understood that the outer,intermediate, and inner links 110, 120, 130 may be any shape so long asthe “X,” “Y,” and “Z” axes are orthogonal to each other in the zero orhome position (see e.g., FIG. 2).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle assembly 200 of each of thecontrol arm assemblies 46 includes a body portion 210 and a grip portion220. The body portion 210 includes a housing 212 supporting a pluralityof actuators 214, 216, 218 for controlling various functions of the tool20 (FIG. 4) of the robot system 10 (FIG. 1). As illustrated and orientedin FIG. 3, the first actuator 214 is disposed on an outer side surface212 a of the housing 212, the second actuator 216 is disposed on a topsurface 212 b of the housing 212, and the third actuator 218 extendsfrom a bottom surface 212 c of the housing 212 to form a trigger. Itshould be understood that the actuators 214, 216, 218 can have anysuitable configuration (e.g., buttons, knobs, toggles, slides, rockers,etc.), and placement of the actuators 214, 216, 218 about the handleassembly 200 may vary. The first actuator 214 includes a finger rest 222and a strap 224 extending over the finger rest 222 to secure a finger(e.g., the index finger) of the clinician's hand to the first actuator214 so that the handle assembly 200 does not slide relative to thefinger.

Each handle assembly 200 allows a clinician to manipulate (e.g., clamp,grasp, fire, open, close, rotate, thrust, slice, etc.) the respectivetool 20 supported at the end 14 of the arm 12 (FIG. 1). As shown, forexample, in FIG. 4, the tool 20 may be a jaw assembly including opposedjaw members 22, 24 extending from a tool shaft 26. The first actuator214 may be configured to actuate the jaw members 22, 24 of the tool 20between open and closed configurations, as described in further detailbelow. The second and third actuators 216, 218 effect other functions ofthe tool 20, such as fixing the configuration of the jaw members 22, 24relative to one another, rotating the jaw members 22, 24 relative to thetool shaft 26, firing a fastener (not shown) from one of the jaw members22, 24, actuating a knife (not shown) disposed within one of the jawmembers 22, 24, activating a source of electrosurgical energy such thatelectrosurgical energy is delivered to tissue via the jaw members 22,24, among other functions within the purview of those skilled in theart.

As shown in FIG. 5-7, a controller 230 is disposed within the bodyportion 210 of the handle assembly 200 such that actuation of the first,second, and/or third actuator 214, 216, 218 (FIG. 3) actuates thecontroller 230 which converts mechanical movement of the first, second,and/or third actuators 214, 216, 218 into electrical signals forprocessing by the processing unit 30 (FIG. 1) which, in turn, sendselectrical signals to the robot system 10 (FIG. 1) to actuate a functionof the tool 20 (FIG. 1). It should be understood that the robot system10 may send signals to the processing unit 30 and thus, to thecontroller 230 to provide feedback to a clinician operating the handleassembly 200.

The first actuator 214 is mechanically coupled to the controller 230 bya four-bar linkage 240. The four-bar linkage 240 includes a first link242, a second link 244, a third link 246, and a fourth link 248. Thethird and fourth links 246, 248 are each pivotably coupled to the firstand second links 242, 244. Each of the third and fourth links 246, 248includes an upper link portion 245 a, 249 a and a lower link portion 245b, 249 b, respectively.

The first link 242 extends proximally from the first actuator 214. Afirst end 246 a of the third link 246 is pivotably connected to aproximal portion 242 a of the first link 242 and a second end 246 b ofthe third link 246 is pivotably connected to a proximal portion 244 a ofthe second link 244. The second link 244 includes a gear 250 at a distalportion 244 b thereof that may be keyed to a shaft 252 such that thegear 250 rotates with the shaft 252. A first end 248 a of the fourthlink 248 is pivotably connected to a distal portion 242 b of the firstlink 242 and a second end 248 b of the fourth link 248 is non-rotatablysecured to the gear 250 and/or shaft 252 such that movement of thefourth link 248 results in rotation of the gear 250.

The first actuator 214 includes a proximal portion 214 a and a distalportion 214 b including the finger rest 222. In embodiments, one or moresensors 223 are embedded within the first actuator 214 such that thefirst actuator 214 can detect the presence or movement of a finger aboutthe finger rest 222. Suitable sensors include, for example, touchsensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, and the like. The firstactuator 214 has a biased position, when no force is applied to thefirst actuator 214, where the distal portion 214 b extends laterallyfrom the outer side surface 212 a of the housing 212 of the handleassembly 200 and the proximal portion 214 a is flush with, or isdisposed within, the outer side surface 212 a, as shown in FIG. 7.

In use, when a clinician presses on and applies force to the finger rest222, the first actuator 214 is moved to an actuated position where thedistal portion 214 b of the first actuator 214 moves towards the bodyportion 210 of the handle assembly 200 causing the proximal portion 214a of the first actuator 214 to move laterally away from the body portion210, resulting in a corresponding movement of the first link 242 of thefour-bar linkage 240. As first link 242 is moved laterally away from thebody portion 210 of the handle assembly 200, the third and fourth links246, 248 move with respect to the second link 244 such that the fourthlink 248 acts as a crank for rotating the gear 250 of the second link244. The gear 250 of the second link 244 is meshingly engaged with agear 232 of the controller 230 such that rotation of the gear 250 of thesecond link 244 causes a corresponding rotation of the gear 232 of thecontroller 230. The controller 230 then converts mechanical movement ofthe gear 232 into electronic signals including digital position andmotion information, as discussed above.

The amount of force applied to the first actuator 214 by a clinicianmoves the first actuator 214 from the biased position to an actuatedposition to affect the position of the jaw members 22, 24 (FIG. 4) withrespect to each other. In embodiments, the first actuator 214 isconfigured such that in the biased position, the jaw members 22, 24 arein a fully open position and the angular position of the first actuator214, as measured by the controller 230, is about 20°. As a force isapplied to the first actuator 214, the first actuator 214 rotates thegear 250 of the second link 244 of the four-bar linkage 240 to move thejaw members 22, 24 towards each other until they reach a fully closedposition. In the fully closed position, the angular position of thefirst actuator 214 is less than about 5°. The four-bar linkage 240allows a clinician to apply less force to the first actuator 214 tofully close the jaw members 22, 24 and/or maintain the jaw members 22,24 in the fully closed position over conventional handles that require aclinician to hold the first actuator 214 at 0°. Such a configurationmay, for example, minimize finger fatigue of a clinician during asurgical procedure and/or prevent over closing and over opening of thejaw members. Additionally, the first actuator 214 does not tend to slidealong the finger as the first actuator 214 is actuated.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, in conjunction with FIGS. 8A and 8B, aclinician grips the handle assembly 200 such that the index finger “I”(shown in phantom) of the clinician's hand “H” rests upon the firstactuator 214, the palm (not shown) of the clinician's hand “H” rests onthe grip portion 220 of the handle assembly 200, and the thumb “T” andthe middle finger “M” of the clinician's hand “H” are free to actuatethe second and third actuators 216, 218, respectively. Themetacarpophalangeal joint “J” of the index finger “I” is aligned withthe effective pivot point of the four-bar linkage 240 of the firstactuator 214 such that the motion of the first actuator 214 moves withthe index finger “I” through the range of motion between the biasedposition (see e.g., FIG. 8A) and the actuated position (see e.g., FIG.8B). This alignment, as well as the pistol grip style of the handleassembly 200, allows for stable control of the handle assembly 200 andprevents sliding of the index finger “I” relative to the first actuator214, thereby providing a more controlled feel to the handle assembly ascompared to, for example as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a handle assembly“A” including a first actuator “B” connected by a single pivot point“C.” The pivot point “C” of the first actuator “B” is not aligned withthe metacarpophalangeal joint “J” of the index finger “I” and causeslongitudinal sliding, as indicated by arrow “D” in FIG. 9B, of the indexfinger “I” relative to the first actuator “B” during movement betweenthe biased position (FIG. 9A) and the actuated position (FIG. 9B).

With reference to FIG. 10, a graph of the jaw angle of the tool 20 (FIG.4) as a function of the paddle angle of the first actuator 214 (FIG. 3)is shown. The jaw members 22, 24 of the tool 20 are fully open (e.g.,disposed at a predetermined jaw angle greater than 0° with respect toeach other) when the first actuator 214 has a paddle angle, θ, of about20°, and the jaw members 22, 24 are fully closed (e.g., disposed atabout a 0° angle with respect to each other) when the first actuator 214has a paddle angle, θ, of about 5°. The jaw angle curve is linear suchthat changes in the paddle angle, θ, of the first actuator 214 (e.g.,due to movement of the first actuator 214 by a clinician) produces acorresponding and directly proportional change in the jaw angle of thetool 20.

The jaw angle curve, however, does not cross the horizontal axis at theorigin. Rather, the jaw angle curve crosses the horizontal axis when thepaddle angle, θ, of the first actuator 214 is about 5° and the jawmembers 22, 24 are disposed in the fully closed position. Such aconfiguration allows the jaw members 22, 24 to be fully closed beforethe first actuator 214 is fully pressed which may, for example, resultin less finger fatigue of a clinician during use, and also allow the jawmembers 22, 24 to over-close as the paddle angle, θ, approaches 0°(e.g., the first actuator 214 is fully pressed). Over-closing the jawmembers 22, 24 increases the grasping force of the tool 20 which isdesired for performing surgical tasks requiring a tight hold such as,for example, retraction of stiff tissues or needle driving. Similarly,the jaw members 22, 24 may over-open as the paddle angle, θ, is broughtabove 20°. Over-opening the jaw members 22, 24 increases the openingforce of the tool 20 which is desired for performing surgical tasksrequiring additional torque to open the jaw members 22, 24 such as, forexample, tissue dissection.

With continued reference to FIG. 10, paddle force as a function of thepaddle angle, θ, of the first actuator 214 (FIG. 3) is also shown.Torque produced by a motor of the handle assembly 200 generates a forceagainst which the first actuator 214 is pressed by a clinician to effecta change in the paddle angle, θ, of the first actuator 214 and thus, thejaw angle between the jaw members 22, 24. The force curve includes threelinear regions having different slopes “S1”, “S1+S2”, and “S3”. One ofthe regions is defined in a portion of the force curve in which the jawmembers 22, 24 are disposed between the fully open and fully closedpositions. The slope “S1” of this region is negative which causes theforce required to close the first actuator 214 to increase as the paddleangle, θ, decreases. The force curve crosses the horizontal axis whenthe paddle angle, θ, of the first actuator 214 is about 20° and the jawmembers 22, 24 are disposed in the fully open position. Such aconfiguration allows the jaw members 22, 24 to open to the fully openposition, corresponding to the biased position of the first actuator 214detailed above, but not to over-open, when a clinician's finger isremoved from the first actuator 214.

Another region is defined in a portion of the force curve in which thejaw members 22, 24 are over-closed and includes the slope “S1+S2”, andanother region is defined in a portion of the force curve in which thejaw members 22, 24 are over-opened and includes the slope “S3”. Slope“S1+S2” is steeper or greater than slope “S3”. Accordingly, as aclinician presses the first actuator 214 to close the jaw members 22,24, the force required to close the first actuator 214 increases as thefirst actuator 214 approaches the over-close region which, in turn,increases the stiffness in the first actuator 214 and provides a tactileindication to the clinician that the jaw members 22, 24 are entering orhave entered the over-close region. Similarly, slope “S3” is steeperthan slope “S1” to provide an indication to the clinician that the jawmembers 22, 24 are entering or have entered the over-open region. Allthe values of the force are negative in each of the regions so that ifthe clinician's finger moves off of the first actuator 214, the jawmembers 22, 24 move to the fully open position.

It should be understood that the jaw angle curve and/or the force curvemay be modified to achieve different behaviors of the jaw members 22, 24and/or the first actuator 214 in response to changes in the paddle angleof the first actuator 214 and/or to implement different desired featuresof the jaw members 22, 24 and/or first actuator 214. Accordingly, it iscontemplated that the shape of the jaw angle curve and/or the forcecurve may be different for different tool types or control modesutilized with the robotic surgical system 1.

Referring now to FIG. 11, another embodiment of a control arm assembly46′ is shown. While control arm assembly 46′ is discussed singularlybelow, a person of ordinary skill in the art can readily appreciate thata user interface 40 of a robotic surgical system 1 (FIG. 1) may includea plurality of substantially identical control arm assemblies 46′.Control arm assembly 46′ is substantially similar to control armassembly 46 and thus, is only described herein to the extent necessaryto describe the differences in construction and operation thereof.

Control arm assembly 46′ includes a gimbal 100′ and a handle assembly200′ operably coupled to the gimbal 100′. The gimbal 100′ includes anouter link 110′, an intermediate link 120′, and an inner link 130′. Theouter link 110′ includes a second end 110 b′ pivotably connected to afirst end 120 a′ of the intermediate link 120′, the intermediate link120′ includes a second end 120 b′ pivotably connected to a first end 130a′ of the inner link 130′, and the inner link 130′ includes a second end130 b′ having a connector 132′ configured to releasably engage a distalend 200 a′ of the handle assembly 200′ such that the handle assembly200′ is rotatable about “X,” “Y,” and “Z” axes as described above withregard to handle assembly 200 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

Controllers (not shown) are disposed within each of the outer,intermediate, and inner links 110′, 120′, 130′ to serialize encoder datato reduce wiring through the gimbal 100′. Secondary encoders, such asencoder 102′ shown in FIG. 12, are disposed at the second ends 110 b′,120 b′, 130 b′ of the outer, intermediate, and inner links 110′, 120′,130′ to sense the position of the outer, intermediate, and inner links110′, 120′, 130′. The secondary encoders may be rotary encoders, such asmagnetic, optical, or capacitive encoders, that convert rotationalmovement and/or angular position to a digital signal for processing bythe processing unit 30 (FIG. 1). The secondary encoders can bepotentiometers, hall sensors, optical sensors, or other suitable knownsensors for measuring rotational movement and/or angular position.

A feedback assembly 140′ may be mounted to the control arm 42 (FIG. 2),the outer, intermediate, or inner link 110′, 120′, 130′ of the gimbal100′, and/or the handle assembly 200′ to provide vibratory or hapticfeedback to a clinician operating the handle assembly 200′. As shown,the feedback assembly 140′ is a vibration voice coil assembly; however,the feedback assembly 140′ can also be a piezoelectric vibrationassembly, an off-balance motor feedback assembly, a wearable accessoryworn by a clinician, or other suitable known vibration assembly. For adetailed discussion of the construction and operation of an exemplaryvibration voice coil assembly, reference may be made to commonly ownedU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/248,516, filed Nov. 13,2015, now International Application Serial No. PCT/US16/58970, filedOct. 27, 2016, the entire content of each of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

As shown in FIG. 12, in conjunction with FIG. 11, the connector 132′ ofthe gimbal 100′ includes a flanged outer edge 134′ that is substantiallysemi-circular in shape, and opposed detents 136′ defined at terminalends of the flanged outer edge 134′ that form a quick connect/disconnectinterface, such as a tongue and groove connector or a bayonet coupling,with the distal end 200 a′ of the handle assembly 200′ to releasablyengage the handle assembly 200′ to the gimbal 100′. A guide post 138′extends distally from the connector 132′ and may be keyed to a throughhole (not shown) defined in the distal end 200 a′ of the handle assembly200′.

The connector 132′ of the gimbal 100′ allows a clinician to change thehandle assembly 200′ of the control arm assembly 46′, such as withhandle assembly 200 of FIG. 3, depending upon, for example, the desiredsize of a handle for ergonomic fit with the hand of the clinician and/orthe type of handle desired for use to control a tool 20 of the robotsystem 10 (FIG. 1). The removability of the handle assembly 200′ fromthe control arm assembly 46′ allows a clinician to use a custom madehandle assembly and/or different kinds of handle assemblies fordifferent surgical applications. For example, a pistol grip style handleassembly (see e.g., FIG. 2) may be used for general surgery, while asmaller, pincher style handle assembly may be preferred for othersurgical procedures, such as cardiac procedures, while yet otherdifferent style handle assemblies may be preferred or required fromother surgical procedures, such as neurosurgery, microsurgery, ororthopedic surgery, for example.

As detailed above and shown in FIG. 1, the user interface 40 is inoperable communication with the robot system 10 to perform a surgicalprocedure on a patient “P”; however, it is envisioned that the userinterface 40 may be in operable communication with a surgical simulator(not shown) to virtually actuate a robot system and/or tool in asimulated environment. For example, the surgical robot system 1 may havea first mode where the user interface 40 is coupled to actuate the robotsystem 10 and a second mode where the user interface 40 is coupled tothe surgical simulator to virtually actuate a robot system. The surgicalsimulator may be a standalone unit or be integrated into the processingunit 30. The surgical simulator virtually responds to a clinicianinterfacing with the user interface 40 by providing visual, audible,force, and/or haptic feedback to a clinician through the user interface40. For example, as a clinician interfaces with the handle assemblies200, the surgical simulator moves representative tools that arevirtually acting on tissue at a simulated surgical site.

In embodiments in which the user interface includes removable handleassemblies, such as the handle assembly 200′ shown in FIG. 11, thehandle assemblies may be used in a standalone mode for surgicalsimulation by removing them from the user interface and electricallycoupling the handle assemblies to a surgical simulator (not shown). Thehandle assemblies may be operably connected to the surgical simulatorvia a thin, flexible wire for motor power and sending and receiving ofcontrol signals between the handle assemblies and the surgicalsimulator. The position of the handle assemblies are tracked in 3D space(XYZ, and roll, pitch, and yaw) using a 3D tracking system, such as amagnetic or optical 3D tracking system, to measure the position of thehandle assemblies. Such a configuration provides a clinician with aportable surgical simulator for use in any location, such as their homeor office. It is envisioned that the surgical simulator may allow aclinician to practice a surgical procedure before performing thesurgical procedure on a patient. In addition, the surgical simulator maybe used to train a clinician on a surgical procedure. Further, thesurgical simulator may simulate “complications” during a proposedsurgical procedure to permit a clinician to plan a surgical procedure.

While several embodiments of the disclosure have been shown in thedrawings, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, asit is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art willallow and that the specification be read likewise. Any combination ofthe above embodiments is also envisioned and is within the scope of theappended claims. Therefore, the above description should not beconstrued as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particularembodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modificationswithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A control arm assembly for controlling a robotsystem, comprising: a gimbal moveable and rotatable about three axes;and a handle assembly coupled to the gimbal, the handle assemblyincluding a body portion having a controller disposed therein and afirst actuator disposed thereon, the first actuator including a proximalportion and a distal portion, the first actuator having a biasedposition in which the distal portion extends laterally away from thebody portion and wherein application of a force on the distal portion ina direction towards the body portion moves the first actuator to anactuated position in which the proximal portion is moved laterally awayfrom the body portion, the first actuator mechanically coupled to thecontroller via a four-bar linkage such that actuation of the firstactuator causes mechanical movement of a component of the controllerwhich is converted by the controller into an electrical signal.
 2. Thecontrol arm assembly of claim 1, wherein a first link of the four-barlinkage is secured to the proximal portion of the first actuator.
 3. Thecontrol arm assembly of claim 2, wherein the four-bar linkage furtherincludes a second link fixedly disposed within the body portion of thehandle assembly and operably connected to the controller, and third andfourth links pivotably coupled to the first and second links.
 4. Thecontrol arm assembly of claim 3, wherein the component of the controlleris a first gear, the second link of the four-bar linkage includes asecond gear attached to a shaft rotatably disposed within the secondlink, the second gear of the second link meshingly engaged with thefirst gear of the controller, wherein movement of the fourth link causesrotational movement of the second gear of the second link which causesrotational movement of the first gear of the controller.
 5. The controlarm assembly of claim 4, wherein an end of the fourth link isnon-rotatably coupled to the second gear of the second link.
 6. Thecontrol arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is disposedon an outer surface of the body portion of the handle assembly.
 7. Thecontrol arm assembly of claim 6, wherein the handle assembly includes astrap extending over the distal portion of the first actuator.
 8. Thecontrol arm assembly of claim 1, wherein the gimbal includes a connectorreleasably coupled to a distal end of the handle assembly.
 9. Thecontrol arm assembly of claim 8, wherein the connector includes aflanged outer edge and opposed detents defined at terminal ends of theflanged outer edge for releasable engagement with the distal end of thehandle assembly.
 10. A handle assembly for controlling a robot system,comprising: a body portion; a controller disposed within the bodyportion; a first actuator disposed on the body portion, the firstactuator including a proximal portion and a distal portion, the firstactuator having a biased position in which the distal portion extendslaterally away from the body portion and wherein application of a forceon the distal portion in a direction towards the body portion moves thefirst actuator to an actuated position in which the proximal portion ismoved laterally away from the body portion; and a four-bar linkagemechanically coupling the controller and the first actuator such thatactuation of the first actuator causes mechanical movement of acomponent of the controller which is converted by the controller into anelectrical signal.
 11. The handle assembly of claim 10, wherein a firstlink of the four-bar linkage is secured to the proximal portion of thefirst actuator.
 12. The handle assembly of claim 11, wherein thefour-bar linkage further includes a second link fixedly disposed withinthe body portion and operably connected to the controller, and third andfourth links pivotably coupled to the first and second links.
 13. Thehandle assembly of claim 12, wherein the component of the controller isa first gear, the second link of the four-bar linkage includes a secondgear attached to a shaft rotatably disposed within the second link, thesecond gear of the second link meshingly engaged with the first gear ofthe controller, wherein movement of the fourth link causes rotationalmovement of the second gear of the second link which causes rotationalmovement of the first gear of the controller.
 14. The handle assembly ofclaim 13, wherein an end of the fourth link is non-rotatably coupled tothe second gear of the second link.
 15. The handle assembly of claim 10,wherein the first actuator is disposed on an outer surface of the bodyportion.
 16. The handle assembly of claim 15, further comprising a strapextending over the distal portion of the first actuator.